The Jacksonville Jaguars will kick off the 2025 regular season at EverBank Stadium, taking on the Carolina Panthers.
For a closer look at this Carolina team, we spoke with Panthers Wire’s managing editor, Anthony Rizzuti, to get some additional insight.
Whether this game ends in a win, loss, or tie, this one outcome won’t dictate which direction the Jaguars are headed under their new regime. But the importance of some early success does go beyond just the wins and losses columns.
With so much change this offseason for Jacksonville, it can be difficult to know what to expect from this team, especially early on. So how do the experts think this game will unfold?
Let’s take a look.
NFL.com expert picks
It’s a clean sweep. The five members of the NFL.com crew are all picking the Jaguars to win this game.
Tom Blair: “With both defenses coming off a disastrous 2024, the first offense to jell on Sunday could end up in the driver’s seat, and I’m choosing to trust that Coen and Lawrence will have enough cooked up — with some extra juice from Travis Hunter? — for Lawrence to snag the second season-opening win of his career.”
CBS Sports expert picks
Another near sweep, with seven of the eight members of the CBS Sports staff picking the Jaguars to win.
Here is why Pete Prisco expects the Jaguars to come out on top.
“This is the debut for Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, who should liven up the offense. Look for Trevor Lawrence to play well here and keep an eye on the Travis Hunter usage. The Panthers feel good about Bryce Young after last season, but I think the Jaguars get the best of him here. Jaguars take it.”
ESPN expert picks
Six of the eight experts who made picks for this game are expecting the Jaguars to beat the Panthers.
Pro Football Talk
Mike Floria has the Jaguars winning 24-20, and Chris Simms has Jacksonville winning by a full eight points over the Panthers, 28-20.
Bleacher Report
While the other sites are mostly bullish on the Jaguars, the majority of Bleacher Report believes that the Panthers win this game–but it’s close. Four of the seven selections went with Carolina.
Here is why Moe Moton thinks the Jaguars will win:
“This week, the Panthers face an experienced quarterback and a head coach/play-caller who earned leaguewide respect last season. Bet on Coen designing plays to torch a defense that has new starters at all three levels.”
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Jaguars vs. Panthers: Experts predict Week 1 winner
